Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in pagan_writers' LiveJournal:

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Friday, June 13th, 2008
10:45 am [ysabetwordsmith]	Interview of me on Dark Phantom Mayra Calvani has posted her interview of me on Dark Phantom. In it, we talk about my book Composing Magic, magic spells, Paganism, writing fantasy, and other fun stuff. Please drop by and take a look! Current Mood: busy (Comment on this)
Friday, June 6th, 2008
4:16 pm [queenofillusion]	Short Story Writers!!! Hi there, I'm posting a question here as to whether any of you also might happen to write--in addition to pagan books/stories--any fantasy? In particular, I am looking for decent (perhaps previously published) authors interested in writing some fantasy erotic short stories for a potential collection. For sure, they can have pagan themes/ideas/beliefs in them. If you are interested, feel free to write me at: webofstars@hotmail.com Thanks! Garnet (Veronica Cummer) Current Mood: hopeful (2 Comments |Comment on this)
12:46 pm [morningdove3202]	Skinner and Beacon Press Greetings, I'm not sure how many Pagan Writers are aware of the Unitarian Universalist Association owned publishing companies, Skinner and Beacon Press. A Pagan writer could find either publishing company a good fit for their interests, as we share allot of liberal spiritual values with the UUs. Here is a link to the Skinner Publishing company's page: http://www.uua.org/publications/skinnerhouse/index.shtml And Beacon Press http://www.beacon.org/ Here is a blurb on the difference between the two companies: "What’s the difference between Skinner House and Beacon Press? The UUA owns two book-publishing houses, Beacon Press and Skinner House Books. Beacon Press publishes books for the broader culture that also represent the values of Unitarian Universalism. Skinner House began as a denominational imprint of Beacon Press in 1976, publishing books aimed directly at the spiritual needs of Unitarian Universalists. Skinner House is named after Clarence Skinner (1881-1949), a Universalist minister, writer, teacher and social activist who was Dean of the Crane Theological School at Tufts University. Today Skinner House is a profitable operation for the UUA, with sales revenues that more than pay for the cost of salaries, manufacturing, marketing and other Skinner publishing expenses. In the last 10 years, the number of Skinner House titles in print has doubled and sales revenues have tripled. Skinner House titles are almost all paperbacks, with an average purchase price of $12.00." http://www.uua.org/publications/skinnerhouse/13883.shtml And lastly, here is a list of current topics that they are looking for writers for... We are currently seeking proposals on these topics: how to nurture tolerance in our children how to talk to children about spiritual subjects spirituality in the workplace spirituality and/or spiritual practice in everyday life social action as a spiritual practice aging and spirituality young adulthood and spirituality prayer collections how to become a social justice activist nature and spirituality interconnectedness; living the values consistent with our "small planet" collected stories for children cultural appropriation vs. cultural diversity: how to strike a balance worship resources stories about congregational life that focus on a particular theme, such as welcoming blended families nurturing diversity nurturing social activism managing grief managing conflict nurturing intergenerational contact resources for small group ministry Unitarian Universalist history and culture in "coffee table" format http://www.uua.org/publications/skinnerhouse/6094.shtml I hope this information helps someone find their way to getting published!! Dove (Comment on this)
Thursday, June 5th, 2008
1:47 am [ysabetwordsmith]	How to Recognize BAD Poetry ozarque has observed that there is a dearth of critique in modern poetry, followed by low quality throughout much of the field. I quite agree. Most modern poetry is technically flawed and artistically flaccid. Many people have abandoned poetry, saying they don't know what's good and what isn't. Usually they do know -- but they've been shown wretched poetry and told it was great, so they've lost faith in their own judgment. First, if you think a poem is horrid, it probably is. With practice you can learn to elucidate why it is horrid. This is a useful skill for poets, poetry readers, and editors or teachers of poetry. Here are some common flaws in poetry: Imperfect or erratic rhymes. A good poem, if it rhymes, should either use perfect rhymes throughout or use a clear and appealing pattern of near rhymes. Bad poems try for perfect rhymes and fail. Erratic meter. A good poem, if intended to have meter, has a fluent meter that flows gracefully when read aloud. It need not be perfectly regular, as variations on the meter can add interest; but it must be pronounceable. Some forms demand a specific, exact meter and mistakes there count against quality. Bad poems stagger drunkenly from one word to the next. Topical trouble. The topic should be clear and interesting. Absent, indistinguishable, garbled, or pointless topics cost the poem points. Especially watch out for cases where two poems are tangled together into one, with competing aspects of the same topic. Flawed form. Any poem of a specific form must follow the rules for that form precisely. For poets not skilled in writing to form, there is free verse. Breaking form can be a trivial or catastrophic flaw. Mismatched motifs. The form clashes with the topic, the rhythm jangles against the theme, the metaphors are wildly inappropriate, etc. Misused techniques. Poorly chosen allusions, mixed metaphors, overused similes, awkward alliteration -- these are examples of valid techniques gone wrong. Cliched imagery. Avoid it like the plague! Off with its head! ZOMG-EMO-DRAMA!!! Bad poetry exaggerates, whines, mopes, capers, and generally makes an embarrassing spectacle of itself. Good poetry delivers emotion softly, like snowfall -- or slyly, like a stiletto. If you can see it coming, it's probably not done right. Pronunciation chuckholes. Good poetry demands to be read aloud; it feels good in the mouth. Reading bad poetry is like trying to spit out a mouthful of rocks, one at a time, without swallowing any. Some sounds create tongue-twisters when combined. Cacophanous sound. A good poem sounds delicious in the ear. A bad one makes listeners wince when they hear it. Some sounds don't go well together. Prose flavor. This flaw reveals the content to be prose disguised as poetry, most often found in free verse. Even free verse requires the use of some poetic techniques, and a sense of prosody, to distinguish it from prose; the poet simply has more choice about which ones to use. YAWN. Bad poetry is almost always boring. Go watch grass grow to put some excitement in your day. When you encounter bad poetry, identify it as such. It's okay for people to write bad poetry; it's not okay for people to obscure good poetry by falsely claiming that bad poetry is good. (Note that I'm referring here to poems with identifiable flaws, rather than to unfounded disputes over personal taste. Not everyone will necessarily like a good poem.) You need not be rude or vulgar, although there are venues that encourage such. You can simply point out the salient flaws. If bad poetry is being hailed as good, it needs to be deflated. In the case of young and/or novice poets, try to be gentle and include praise along with criticism. The best way of learning how to recognize bad poetry is to practice reading and analyzing it. Some sturdy folks have assembled collections of bad poetry, and related discussions, for public edification: reallybadpoetry badpoetry atrociouspoetry Bad Poetry Index http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/bad/index.html The Bad Poetry Page http://www.coffeeshoptimes.com/badpoet.html Very Bad Poetry http://www.verybadpoetry.com/ The Bad Poetry Seminar http://poetry.about.com/library/weekly/aa042297.htm How to Write Bad Poetry http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A577118 And of course, there is the book that got me hooked on deflating bad poetry: The Stuffed Owl: An Anthology of Bad Verse. Special thanks to Prof. U. Milo Kaufmann for introducing me to that book. Like an owl pellet, it is revolting in a fascinating way. This should be required reading for poets, poetry editors, teachers of poetry, and anyone else serious about working in the genre. Consider it a field guide to monstrosities. Current Mood: busy (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
8:57 pm [ysabetwordsmith]	Introduction: Elizabeth Barrette Merry meet! I'm a Pagan writer and scholar. I edited PanGaia magazine from 2000 through the end of 2007. I'm currently the Dean of Studies at the Grey School of Wizardry, which is not a Pagan school per se but has many Pagan members among its faculty and students. I write fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. I'm generally interested in promoting Pagan scholarship and Pagan fiction. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
8:03 am [morningdove3202]	Squee!! http://www.lydiacrabtree.com/ She signed with Llewellen!! I can't wait for her first book, Family Coven!! Dove (Comment on this)
Monday, April 28th, 2008
7:03 pm [paigemom]	Looking for a few good Pagan writers!   I am the Acquisitions Editor for GroundMark Press – a small Pagan publisher. GroundMark is interested in the smaller 'niche' books that fall through the cracks at the larger Pagan publishers. If your manuscript has been rejected because it “won’t appeal to a general Pagan audience,” I want to hear from you!  We print our books through Lulu.com, so we use their fee structure, exactly as it is published on their Website, and take no extra fee.  We don’t make royalties on the sale of your book for basic publication services (but see below regarding professional services you might choose to purchase)— however, Lulu does make royalties. We do charge additional fees when you need help from us in editing, formatting, designing a cover, marketing and so forth. These are charges for professional services, which you can choose to utilize or not. To be honest, there is no enormous benefit you'll see to submitting your work through us rather than directly to Lulu… that is, unless your manuscript needs professional attention, or unless you would benefit with help in designing your cover, marketing your book and so forth.  For more information about what we offer and what we're looking for, I invite you to go to: http://www.groundmarkpress.com/  Although GroundMark cannot make an acceptance decision on anything but a completed manuscript, I am open to seeing a cover letter describing your book in the body of an email, and a detailed outline and the first two or three chapters as attachments.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me at gmacquisitions@yahoo.com. I hope to hear from you soon!   Cross-posted like mad. My apologies if you get this more than once J (Comment on this)
Monday, April 21st, 2008
9:16 pm [morningdove3202]	Pooka's Sandbox Greetings, I'm an aspiring writer and reviewer who currently writes for an online Pagan Youth magazine called "Pooka's Sandbox".   It can be found and downloaded in PDF format here:  http://www.elsieandpooka.com/pookas_sandbox.htm  My column, "Miss Epstine's Pagan Picks" is a book and music review article for a Pagan youth audience that reaches between 1000 and 2000 readers (or more, because we can only count downloads) an issue.  Please check it out, and if anyone has any youth book  or music suggestions, I'd be happy to look into it.  Review copies of books or music are also appreciated, as my local library is not up on Pagan topics.  Free free to message me via my LJ account. Dove  (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
5:13 pm [theperfumer]	Witch's Voice topic page? I'm trying to track down the Witch's Voice topic page and getting nowhere. I found a page here that went out of date as of July 2006. The email to the person in charge went to a dead end. Does anyone know where/how I can get in the loop? (Comment on this)
Friday, March 14th, 2008
1:15 pm [queenofillusion]	OMG, SO EXCITED! Just wanted to jump in and give a quick plug for my new book which has just appeared on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sorgitzak-Forest-Craft-Veronica-Cummer/dp/0979616867/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205517810&sr=1-1 Would love it if you checked it out and told all your friends about it, all those who might be interested in old European Craft. Thanks much! Veronica webofstars@hotmail.com www.pendraigpublishing.com Current Mood: excited (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008
4:58 pm [queenofillusion]	SageWoman Hi there, So, has anyone here sold anything to SageWoman magazine? I've sent them a couple of articles, but no luck so far. The second time I had written a piece they liked and would have wanted...save one of their staff writers was writing about the same Goddess for that issue. So I got it published elsewhere. Also, I am need of an agent being that my first Craft book is due out as of this Beltane. Anyone have any good resources to go to and start the search? Thanks much! Veronica webofstars@hotmail.com www.pendraigpublishing.com Current Mood: curious (Comment on this)
Monday, January 14th, 2008
6:56 am [shauna_aura]	Writing & art contest Greetings all, I'm holding a writing contest related to an upcoming event called Sacred Fire. The theme information is below, and available on the web site. This is a very "loose" contest--any artwork, short fiction or essay about 1 page long, or poetry, will be considered. The winners will be published in the event program book, and if the entries are really stellar I might compile things into a nicely designed book to publish a short run off of Lulu.com. I'm looking for writing and artwork that supports the themes of the event--Brigid, Imbolc, spiritual journeys, community building, Aquarius, etc.  Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions. Thanks! Ringing Anvil Productions presents: Sacred Fire Keepers of the Flame A day-long event for spiritual seekers February 2nd, Kansas City What is the Sacred Fire in your heart? How do we build the Clan-fire of community? Will you become a Keeper of this Sacred Flame? http://www.ringinganvil.org ( More information about Sacred Fire... ) (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, September 3rd, 2007
9:37 pm [willstronghold]	Issue Number Four! Issue Number Four of my E-Zine is up for the viewing. I think it's a really great one. Check it out. http://www.fictionalpublications.com/ x-posted in several places (Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007
11:48 am [tristissima]	Poetry Slam at Burning Man! (x-posted everywhere) Are you or anyone in your scene attending Burning Man, the 9-day gathering celebrating radical self-expression and radical inclusion in the Nevada Desert? If so, I shall be hosting a Poetry Slam the first Monday (the night of the Eclipse) at the Silicon Village (Silicon Valley locals camp), and I NEED poets! This is my first time attending the Burn and I'm getting my camp fees waived for doing this, so please help a virgin out! Please contact me off-channel at werd2thenerd AT yahoo if so, or call (fur oh ate mine sex oh fur vibe mine oh). Oh, if anyone is curious as to MY identity (considering this is my first post), I usually perform under the name of Tristissima (I have 7 others), I've been slamming in San Jose for, garsh, six and a half years, and I was on the Santa Clara University Collegiate Team 2004 and the Palo Alto Team 2005 and 2006 Thanks guys! (Comment on this)
10:40 am [readthisandweep]	NEW Hello.  I've been so busy recently, trying to find an agent (what else) I'd forgotten I'd even joined this community!  I'm going away for a month but on my return hope to get into dialogue with other writers.  I post most days on my LJ site & am in the middle of writing a website, (see my profile.)  Look forward to some constructive conversations.  Whatever you are writing - bon chance, & enjoy. Current Mood: busy (Comment on this)
Friday, July 6th, 2007
8:10 am [willstronghold]	Issue Three Issue number three of my zine is up and running. It's rather short. I really need more submissions for whenever Issue Four comes out. Check out the site and send me your stuff! http://www.fictionalpublications.com/ (Comment on this)
Friday, June 8th, 2007
10:03 am [sheena_bandy]	Help, please! I'm not sure if this is allowed, but I was hoping everyone could go fill out this poll to help me choose which novel project to work on next. polly poll poll (Comment on this)
Monday, May 21st, 2007
12:07 am [willstronghold]	Zine looking for submissions for issue number three. http://www.fictionalpublications.com This issue is really great. Really good poetry, haunting music, touching stories, absurdity, and experimental works. Take a look and click our sponsors! (Comment on this)
Sunday, May 6th, 2007
1:35 pm [wire_mother]	Pagan Fiction Contest over in tribalpaganism*, someone posted a notice about a pagan fiction contest being run by PanGaia. i figured that some people here might be interested, as well. *rather than reposting the entire notice, i'll just leave this link. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007
1:13 am [willstronghold]	A humble plug. I'm a writing professor who is very interested in paganism. I wrote a novel that is strongly rooted in it, and am currently trying to get it published. In the meantime, I have it self-published on lulu.com http://www.lulu.com/content/605904 I offer it for your consideration. I have it priced so that I don't make any money off of it. I just want to get word out about it and show publishers that people will read it. If this self-promotion is not allowed, let me know. I'm very excited to find this community. x-posted in paganbooks (Comment on this)